On Jul 12, 2:20 pm, wrote:
a good summary of how to change water parameters. http://www.chelon
ia.org/Articles/waterchemistry.htm

"Ways to increase gH
Adding limestone to the aquarium (this will also increase kH which in tur
n will
increase pH)
Adding calcium carbonate will raise gH and kH"

To lower the pH use hydrochloric acid, aka muriatic acid at your hardware
store. Mix
the acid into water (not the other way around) to dilute and then use a g
allon milk
jug with a bare pin prick of a hole to drip drop by drop into the pond.
slowly
change the pH over a couple days.

HOWEVER, it could be with no calcium/magnesium ions your pH is fragile an
d will
change quickly sorta like distilled water will. I have quite soft wate
r since it
comes out of Lake Michigan, just a bit of carbonate too. Need to put i
n organic
dolomitic limestone to bring up the hardness. However, limestone paver
s can also be
set in the pond to moderate the pH. They will dissolve as needed. I
ngrid

On Tue, 7 Jul 2009 07:28:45 EDT, Elizabeth wrote:
I still need to adjust general hardness,, currently 0ppm.. Luckily we
are expecting several inches of rain this week which will help with
alkalinity, currently 300ppm and pH currently 9.0.
Any good ideas how to raise GH when KH is so high?

Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan
on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

Thanks, Dr Solo,
When we originally set up the pond, I used muriatic acid the break the
alkalinity, drop the pH and adjust the hardness. I must clarify that
these efforts were PRE-Fish. I corrected hardness, alkalinity, then
pH, much the same as one would do for a swimming pool. It's been many
years now and I don't recall how much acid was used, but I remember it
was ALOT.
Now, with the fish in the pond, I am not comfortable trying to break
the alkalinity ( oh it would be so easy).
Having done some research, I think my course of action will include
reef grade calcium chloride and magnesium. I believe it will be
soluble even in high KH/pH conditions.
Next question: Will it affect salt levels? And do salt tests measure
the sodium or the chloride?

Will report back on progress...
elizabeth, Baton Rouge

muriatic acid will not harm the fish if the drop in pH is gradual (a sudden increase
is more harmful, it can precipitate dropsy).
I know that plain dolomitic limestone is not very soluble at high pH, dont know about
the reef stuff.
"Salts" is a generic term. if you mean NaCl, then I dont think other salts will
affect it. I am not sure what salt tests test. Definitely the chloride ion is what
is why people add salt to protect fish from nitrite poisoning, and, the chloride ion
is what people perceive as "salty", so if I HAD to guess, my best guess is salt tests
test for the chloride ion.
Ingrid

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:39:19 EDT, Elizabeth wrote:
Now, with the fish in the pond, I am not comfortable trying to break
the alkalinity ( oh it would be so easy).
Having done some research, I think my course of action will include
reef grade calcium chloride and magnesium. I believe it will be
soluble even in high KH/pH conditions.
Next question: Will it affect salt levels? And do salt tests measure
the sodium or the chloride?
Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan
on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:39:19 EDT, Elizabeth wrote:

Thanks, Dr Solo,
When we originally set up the pond, I used muriatic acid the break the
alkalinity, drop the pH and adjust the hardness. I must clarify that
these efforts were PRE-Fish. I corrected hardness, alkalinity, then
pH, much the same as one would do for a swimming pool. It's been many
years now and I don't recall how much acid was used, but I remember it
was ALOT.
Now, with the fish in the pond, I am not comfortable trying to break
the alkalinity ( oh it would be so easy).
Having done some research, I think my course of action will include
reef grade calcium chloride and magnesium. I believe it will be
soluble even in high KH/pH conditions.
Next question: Will it affect salt levels? And do salt tests measure
the sodium or the chloride?

Will report back on progress...
elizabeth, Baton Rouge

Do you have salt in there currently? If not, it shouldn't be that much of a
problem, but have a salt tester handy. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us